We have 3 little chicks

What a wonderful surprise! We woke up to 3 fluffy chicks. It looks like the 2nd one finally broke through and there is an added bonus of a third that hatched in the middle of the night. We are so pleased! I called Torin to tell him about the chicks and he was shocked and happy. They have such big feet. We have now put in a dishes of water and Start and Grow. They instantly picked up on pecking food.

OUR 1st CHICK HAS HATCHED!

The Chick in egg #8 just made its way out of the shell.

Egg #4 is cracking, too. By morning, we hope to see 2 chicks. I am afraid to go to bed and leave this little baby by itself.

Day 21: It is really happening!

I just returned from the airport. Torin is on his way to Denver where he will spend the next 10 days with my family. WOW - it is one of the eggs is hatching. We can't believe this! We didn't think this would happen. The eggs were laid around June 24th and it is now 25 days later.

6:22PM

8:55PM

10:05PM

Is today Day 21?

Incubation Day 21 or Day 17

We are hoping that the eggs will start to hatch today. It has been 21 days from the date that the eggs are believed to have been laid. 

Nothing is happening.

Half of the eggs have turned a faded brown colour with a chalky, white tint. Does this mean these ones are not fertilized? Or is it the reverse? 

You can see from the photo that some of the eggs have lost their robust colour. What does this mean?!?

An interview with a Chicken Expert

Incubation Day 14 or Day 18

On Day 17 we can expect to get relief from the daily rotations. Our manual directs us to not touch the incubator from Day 17 on (except to add H2O to maintain humidity). 

I read that tomorrow we might be able to start to hear "pips" - the chicks peeking at the shells from the inside. 

Two days ago, I called my farmer grandmother to seek advice on our hatching process. She returned the call yesterday; it was possibly the most useless conversation I have ever had with anyone. She refused to offer any insight. Torin will be flying to Denver July 18 for a 10 vacation with my family, so in a change of subject and an attempt to be cordial, I asked my grandmother if she intended to see Torin.  She replied with a "maybe."

"Will you drive into the city or will Shiloy bring Torin out to the farm?", I pried.

"Yes.", was her curt response.

"Which one is it?"

"None of your business."

"Ok."

(Keep in mind that this is a woman who, when I once asked if she would like to sell the house that my mother lives in, responded with, "I would never sell anything to you." Also, when I invited her to visit us in Chicago she said, "I'd rather die than go to Chicago.")

Our brief and empty conversation ended with her informing me that she had just finished mowing the lawn and needed to shower now, as if I had interrupted her afternoon. Wasn't she the one that called me?

I am sorry but I have little to no sympathy for depression-era children. Kindness would cost my grandmother nothing, yet she refuses to spend it. Its like how she used to drive to the JC Penny's in Castle Rock to make long distance phone calls from the concierge phone to my sister Liz in Denver. I distinctly remember her taking my brother and me to a Salvation Army toy drive. My brother received a shiny, red fire truck at the party and after sitting on Santa's lap, I was given a new doll. That was our Christmas present from her that year. Don't even get me started on the Christmas presents from garage sales or hotel swipes (shampoo, soap and hand towels). For awhile, once a week, she would deliver day old bread that she picked up from a food pantry.

This same grandmother has owned a private plane and a farm for as long as I can remember. 

There is a difference between frugal and stingy. One is attempting to build a chicken coup out of leftover wood from a rotted fence and miscellaneous IKEA furniture pieces. The other is my grandmother.

I had better get out now with the circular saw and start working on that frame. 3 days until the hatching hopefully begins!

Lessons in Chicken Embryology Continued (Day 6 or Day 10))

Incubation Day 6

All is quiet on the chicken front. On the other hand, Torin and Wesley have been fighting all morning, so they lost the priveledge of going to the swimming pool. We are scheduled to leave for vacation on July 5th - a camping trip in Michigan. Katherine will keep up with incubation log by rotating 3 times a day.

Surprisingly, the cracked embryo continues to grow. It now has a large, bulgy eye. Apparently, it has chicken feathers now, too.

I just learned that Mississippi University has a Department of Poulty Science (one of 6 "poultry" degree granting departments remaining in the US). For those interested in careers in the poultry industry, you can visit the following page: http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/careers.pdf

Here is a great video documenting what the development of a chicken embryo looks like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKvez9duEHQ

Egg Monitoring Log

Incubation Day 5 or Day 9

By the way, here is the log that we have been using to monitor our eggs. Feel free to email me if you would like a copy.